Door with variable length screen

Abstract

An exterior door incorporates at least one moving glass insert or sash slidable in first and second spaced apart tracks. An end of the insert is coupled to an end of a spring biased rolled screen. As the insert moves from the roll, the screen is extracted therefrom providing a continuously variable screened region in the door. The insert can be positioned using a counterbalance or spaced apart latchable locations in the door.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A storm door comprising: 
 a frame including 
 first and second spaced apart jambs;  
 a header portion and an opposing base portion, the header portion and the base portion disposed generally transverse to the first and second spaced apart jams; and  
 at least one track axially provided along a portion of each of the first and second spaced apart jambs and including an elongate sealing portion provided thereto;  
   a sash including 
 first and second end portions; and  
 first and second side portions, wherein at least one of the first and second side portions is displaceable within the at least one axially oriented track of the first and second jambs;  
   a spring biased roller;    a screen material having first and second end portions and first and second side portions, wherein the first end portion is securable to the spring biased roller to enable wrapping of the screen material onto the roller and deployment of the screen material from the roller, and the second end portion is securable to the first end portion of the sash; and    whereby the screen material is deployable under tension from the spring biased roller during displacement of the sash within the at least one track of the first and second spaced apart jambs to define a generally planar extended screen portion substantially maintained by the biasing tension of the roller such that at least one of the side portions of the screen material abuttably engages the elongate sealing portion.    
     
     
         2 . The storm door of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate sealing portion includes a length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         3 . The storm door of  claim 1 , further including a second elongate sealing portion such that the second elongate sealing portion substantially confronts the other elongate sealing portion.  
     
     
         4 . The storm door of  claim 3 , wherein the elongate sealing portion and the second elongate sealing portion include a length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         5 . The storm door of  claim 1 , wherein substantially all of the screen material is wrapped around the spring biased roller to define a wrapped diameter for the spring biased roller at least as large as the thickness of the header.  
     
     
         6 . The storm door of  claim 5 , wherein the wrapped diameter for the spring biased roller is offset longitudinally from the header such that a portion of the wrapped diameter extends out from the header.  
     
     
         7 . The storm door of  claim 1 , further including a counterbalance system operably coupled to the sash to provide a counteracting force with that of the tension of the spring biased roller.  
     
     
         8 . The storm door of  claim 1 , wherein the sash includes at least one latch mechanism to selectively limit displacement of the sash.  
     
     
         9 . The storm door of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one track includes two adjacent tracks such that one of the two tracks is adapted to slidably receive the sash and the other of the two tracks is adapted to slidably receive one of the first and second side portions of the screen material.  
     
     
         10 . A storm door comprising: 
 a frame including 
 first and second spaced apart jambs, each carrying at least one axially oriented track; and  
 a header portion and an opposing base portion, the header portion and the base portion disposed generally transverse to the first and second spaced apart jams;  
   a spring biased roller adapted to rollably receive and deploy a screen material;    the screen material having first and second ends and first and second edges, and attachable to the spring biased roller at the first end such that when the screen material is substantially rolled onto the spring biased roller a wrapped diameter for the spring biased roller is defined that is generally equal to or larger than the thickness of a thinnest portion of the header;    a sash with first and second ends and first and second edges, the first and second edges of the sash being displaceable within the at least one axially oriented track of the spaced apart jambs, and the first end of the sash adapted to securely accept the second end of the screen material;    whereby, when the second end of the screen material is attached to the first end of the sash and the first end of the screen material is attached to the spring biased roller, and the first and second edges of the sash are displaced within the at least one axially oriented track of the spaced apart jambs, the spring biased roller correspondingly displaces the screen material such that the screen material moves with the sash under a retracting tension from the spring biased roller; and    whereby the retracting tension maintains any deployed portion of the screen material in a generally planar shape and maintains the first and second edges of the screen material generally confrontingly secure within the at least one axially oriented track of the space apart jambs.    
     
     
         11 . The storm door of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one axially oriented track includes at least one elongate sealing portion.  
     
     
         12 . The storm door of  claim 11 , wherein the screen material is generally confrontingly secured within the axially oriented track by abuttably engaging the at least one elongate sealing portion.  
     
     
         13 . The storm door of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one elongate sealing portion includes a length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         14 . The storm door of  claim 10 , wherein the wrapped diameter for the spring biased roller is offset longitudinally from the header such that a portion of the wrapped diameter extends out from the header.  
     
     
         15 . The storm door of  claim 10 , further including a counterbalance system operably coupled to the sash to provide a counteracting force with that of the tension of the spring biased roller.  
     
     
         16 . The storm door of  claim 10 , wherein the sash includes at least one latch mechanism to selectively limit displacement of the sash.  
     
     
         17 . The storm door of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one track includes two adjacent tracks such that one of the two tracks is adapted to slidably receive the sash and the other of the two tracks is adapted to slidably receive one of the first and second side portions of the screen material.  
     
     
         18 . The storm door of  claim 10 , wherein the spring biased roller is housed within a module proximate the header such that the spring biased roller is selectively removable from the module.  
     
     
         19 . A storm door comprising: 
 a frame including 
 first and second spaced apart jambs;  
 a header portion including a front face and a back face to define a header thickness and a longitudinal center therethrough;  
 a base portion opposing the header portion, wherein the header portion and the base portion are disposed generally transverse to the first and second spaced apart jams; and  
 at least one track axially provided along a portion of each of the first and second spaced apart jambs and having at least one elongate sealing portion attached thereto;  
   a sash including 
 first and second end portions; and  
 first and second side portions, wherein at least one of the first and second side portions is displaceable within the at least one axially oriented track of the spaced apart jambs;  
   a spring biased roller provided generally parallel to the header and having a roller longitudinal axis offset from the longitudinal center of the header;    a screen material having first and second end portions and first and second side portions, wherein the first end portion is securable to the spring biased roller to enable wrapping of the screen material onto the roller and deployment of the screen material from the roller, the wrapping of substantially all of the screen material onto the roller defining a wrapped diameter for the roller that extends out from one of the front or back faces of the header; and    whereby the screen material is deployable under tension from the spring biased roller during displacement of the sash within the at least one track of the spaced apart jambs to define a generally planar extended screen portion substantially maintained by the biasing tension of the roller such that at least one of the side portions of the screen material abuttably engages the at least one elongate sealing portion.    
     
     
         20 . The storm door of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one elongate sealing portion includes a length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         21 . The storm door of  claim 19 , further including a counterbalance system operably coupled to the sash to provide a counteracting force with that of the tension of the spring biased roller.  
     
     
         22 . The storm door of  claim 19 , wherein the sash includes at least one latch mechanism to selectively limit displacement of the sash.  
     
     
         23 . The storm door of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one track includes two adjacent tracks such that one of the two tracks is adapted to slidably receive the sash and the other of the two tracks is adapted to slidably receive one of the first and second side portions of the screen material.  
     
     
         24 . The storm door of  claim 19 , wherein the spring biased roller is housed within a module proximate the header such that the spring biased roller is selectively removable from the module.  
     
     
         25 . A storm door comprising: 
 a frame including 
 first and second spaced apart jambs;  
 a header portion including a front face and a back face to define a header thickness and a longitudinal center axis therethrough;  
 a base portion opposing the header portion, wherein the header portion and the base portion are disposed generally transverse to the first and second spaced apart jams; and  
 at least one track axially provided along a portion of each of the first and second spaced apart jambs and having at least one elongate sealing portion attached thereto;  
   a sash insert including 
 first and second end portions; and  
 first and second side portions, wherein at least one of the first and second side portions is displaceable within the at least one axially oriented track of the spaced apart jambs;  
   a spring biased roller provided generally parallel to the header and having a roller longitudinal axis offset from the longitudinal center axis of the header;    a screen material having first and second end portions and first and second side portions, wherein the first end portion is securable to the spring biased roller to enable wrapping of the screen material onto the roller and deployment of the screen material from the roller, and the second end portion of the screen material is securable to the first end portion of the sash insert, whereby the screen material is wrappable around the spring biased roller to define a wrapped diameter for the spring biased roller at least equal to the thickness of the header; and    whereby the screen material is deployable under tension from the spring biased roller during displacement of the sash insert within the at least one track of the spaced apart jambs to define a generally planar extended screen portion substantially maintained by the biasing tension of the roller such that at least one of the side portions of the screen material abuttably engages the at least one elongate sealing portion.    
     
     
         26 . The storm door of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one elongate sealing portion includes a length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         27 . A method of operation of a storm door having a variable length screen, comprising the steps of: 
 providing a storm door including a frame having spaced apart jambs, a header portion, and an opposing base portion; at least one track axially provided along a portion of each of the spaced apart jambs and including an elongate sealing portion provided thereto; a sash insert having first and second insert end portions and side portions such that at least one of the side portions is displaceable within the at least one axially oriented track; a spring biased roller adapted to rollably receive and deploy a screen material having first and second screen end portions and first and second screen side portions, wherein the second screen end portion is securable to the first insert end portion of the sash insert;    displacing the sash insert within the at least one track, wherein the screen material is wrapped onto the spring biased roller during a first directional movement of the sash insert and is deployable from the spring biased roller during an opposite second directional movement of the sash insert; and    abuttable engaging of at least one of the screen side portions within the at least one track such that the at least one of the screen side portions is substantially maintained within the at least one track by the biasing tension of the roller.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising providing at least one elongate sealing portion attached to the at least one track for the abuttable engaging of the at least one of the screen side portions within the at least one track.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of providing the at least one elongate sealing portion includes providing a length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         30 . A storm door comprising: 
 first and second spaced apart jambs, a header, and a base defining a storm door frame, the storm door frame defining an inner region and presenting a storm door frame width defined between a storm door frame first surface and a storm door frame second surface, at least a portion of the storm door frame being hingedly pivotable proximate one of the spaced apart jambs;    at least one track axially provided along a portion of each of the first and second spaced apart jambs and having at least one face surface defining a track abutment plane within the storm door frame width;    a sash displaceable within the at least one axially oriented track within the inner region of the storm door frame; and    a spring biased screen roller having a screen material wrappably coupleable to the roller at a first end and securable to the sash at a second end to deploy from the roller proximate the storm door frame first surface, and wherein further displacement of the sash within the at least one track in a direction away from the roller urges the screen material along the track abutment plane generally parallel to and within the storm door width generally inward from the storm door frame first surface to abuttably align side portions of the screen material against the at least one face surface of the at least one track.    
     
     
         31 . The storm door of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one track further includes at least one length of weather stripping.  
     
     
         32 . The storm door of  claim 30 , further including a counterbalance system operably coupled to the sash to provide a counteracting force with that of the tension of the spring biased roller.  
     
     
         33 . The storm door of  claim 30 , wherein the sash includes at least one latch mechanism to selectively limit displacement of the sash.  
     
     
         34 . The storm door of  claim 30 , wherein the spring biased roller is housed within a module proximate the header such that the spring biased roller is selectively removable from the module.